Pride
by weatheredlaw
Summary: It wasn't what it looked like, but that didn't stop him from being jealous. Yugi/Atem Fireflies: 4


**A/N:** More Yami/Atem goodness. They're so cute, aren't they?

**Summary: **It wasn't what it looked like, but that didn't stop him from being jealous.

**Pride**

Yugi finished alphabetizing the gaming manuals. Tea wiped the counter. They poked fun at one another for an hour or so as they unpacked boxes of cards and set them on their displays. They did the things friends did because that's what they were. Friends. He looked at her and smiled.

There was something about Tea Gardner that made her desirable. That made boys corner Yugi in the hall and ask him the secret to her heart. What they had to do, what they had to say. He tried to be honest with them. That Tea wasn't impressed by gifts or displays of masculinity. That what she wanted was a good and honest boy who could be what her family had never been: there for her.

She slipped the last package into its display and looked back. "Nice work," Yugi complimented.

"Well, I _am _rather good at finding a place for things." They laughed and continued cleaning. Yugi's grandfather was in the town over for the weekend, visiting a friend. He'd left Yugi in charge of the store. When Joey decided to shirk his responsibility and instead go with Tristan downtown to watch a wrestling match, Yugi had pleaded with Tea to help him. Reluctantly, she'd agreed, but the day had been slow and business had just barely trickled in during the morning, but began picking up by the afternoon. They ate lunch outside and teased one another about their choice of sandwich fixings.

"So." Tea looked at him with her _I know something is going on with you_ grin and folded her arms over her chest. "Atem."

"What about him?" Yugi asked, humoring her.

"He's obsessed with you. I know it."

"I do too," he said, feigning disinterest.

"I mean honestly Yugi. I think it's fairly obvious."

"Yes, it is. I've noticed myself, actually. We shared a cupcake the other day." She raised an eyebrow. "It was a platonic cupcake, I swear." She rolled her eyes. "What?"

"Come on. You can't tell me you aren't interested in this boy."

"Oh I am. It's just amusing to string him along for a bit."

"Why?" She looked genuinely hurt for a moment, as if feeling Atem's frustration. "Yugi Mutou, that's terrible. No one deserves that."

"Look. I really like Atem. He the silent, dark, and handsome type. I like that. But I'm just...not ready. Not yet." She smiled wisely. Tea had had her share of relationship disasters in her time. Her first real love, a boy their freshman year of highschool, had been a senior who'd taken everything from her and then ran off to college and was getting married next year. She was broken in places Yugi couldn't see and wouldn't let anyone know about.

"Well, when you are, you'll know. And when that time comes if you don't jump on him, I'm going to kill you." He laughed and shook his head, moving a latter up to a shelf to move some comic books around. "Let me do that. I'm taller."

"By four inches," he muttered. She shrugged and pushed him away from the latter and began to climb up.

Life is funny in the way it sets things up. A to B, then B to D, but D talked to C. It's strange.

Tea began climbing the latter as Atem crossed the street, ready to go into the game shop and ask Yugi on a proper date. Not a cupdate. He smiled to himself. Today would not go wrong. He would be brave and not a flake. He waited for the cars to cross the street. As he waited, Yugi held the old latter steady and warned Tea to watch herself. He began handing her some books to shelve. Atem crossed the street and squinted at the open sign. Tea lost her footing and dropped the books. She stumbled. Yugi instinctively stretched his arms out and prepared to catch her as Atem neared the store. She fell into Yugi and they collapsed on the floor, bursting into laughter, her legs straddling him awkwardly, their noses close. Atem opened the door. They stopped laughing and looked up. Silence rushed into the corners of the room. Atem narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"Hi!" Tea launched herself off of Yugi. "You're Atem, right? I'm Tea. Yugi's said only nice things about you," she said, smiling a bit too much and shaking from the fall still.

"Right." He took her hand carefully. Yugi was straightening out his clothes, looking sheepish and not meeting Atem's eyes. "Well, I...um."

"Did you need to-"

"No! No. No, it's...it's fine. I'm, uh, I actually don't...I gotta go." He walked quickly out of the store. Tea bit her lip.

"I think you should go talk to him."

"You think?" Yugi snapped, and rushed to follow him. "Atem!" He caught up, breathless, with the speeding figure. "Atem wait! Slow down!" He grabbed the boys jacket and pulled him around. "Stop! Let me-"

"No, you're fine. I was just going to say hi, really. I didn't mean to interrupt you guys and-"

"Atem. Tea and weren't doing anything."

"You don't have to lie," he said quietly.

"I'm not." Yugi looked at Atem staight in the eyes and repeated himself firmly. "I'm not lying. Tea's a very good friend who was helping me out while my grandfather's out of town and she fell off the latter and I caught her. That's all."

"That's all."

"Yes." Atem nodded. Yugi sighed and massaged his temples. "Look. I really enjoy playing cat and mouse as much as anyone else, but this is just ridiculous." Atem looked confused. "Do you want to go to dinner with me or not?"

That was not what was supposed to happen. Frustrated, Atem looked at the ground, blushing fiercely. No, _he _was supposed to be the one to ask _Yugi_ out. Not the other way around. His pride wounded, he looked up at the sky and closed his eyes. Yugi stood before him, and the rain that had been plaguing Domino City for two weeks decided to begin to fall. In moments, Yugi was drenched, the water soaking his clothes as Atem raised his jacket hood to protect him.

"No. I don't."

"You don't."

"No. I'll see you in school, Yugi." Yugi blinked and shook his head.

"Wait, you're serious."

"Yes. Good-bye." He turned and walked away, leaving Yugi soaking wet, confused, and a little broken hearted.


End file.
